page_title: January 2016 United States blizzard
section_title: Mid-Atlantic
hierarchical_section_title: January 2016 United States blizzard / Preparations / Mid-Atlantic
caption_attribution_description: English: Over Five Foot Snow drifts in Reading,pa the day of the Blizzard
context_page_description: The January 2016 United States Blizzard was a crippling and historic nor'easter blizzard that produced up to 3 ft of snow in parts of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast United States from January 22 to January 24, 2016. Evolving from a shortwave trough that formed in the Pacific Northwest on January 19, the system consolidated into a defined low-pressure area on January 21 over Texas. Regarding it as a "potentially historic blizzard", meteorologists indicated the storm could produce more than 2 ft of snow across a wide swath of the Mid-Atlantic region and could "paralyze the eastern third of the nation". Winter weather expert Paul Kocin described the blizzard as "kind of a top-10 snowstorm".
  On January 20–22, the governors of eleven states and the mayor of Washington, D.C. declared a state of emergency in anticipation of significant snowfall and blizzard conditions. Approximately 103 million people were affected by the storm, with 33 million people under blizzard warnings. More than 13,000 flights were cancelled in relation to the storm, with effects rippling internationally.
context_section_description: A snow emergency was declared for Washington, D.C., meaning that residents would not be allowed to park on snow emergency routes after 9:30 p.m. local time on January 22. Mayor Bowser urged people to remain home during the storm, "[u]nless you absolutely have to be out tomorrow afternoon [January 22], residents should get home as soon as possible". Across Maryland, 2,700 pieces of snow equipment were mobilized and crews planned to distribute 365,000 tons of road salt. In Virginia, 500 vehicles were deployed to treat roads and 500 members of the Virginia National Guard were placed on standby. Schools across the D.C. area were scheduled to end classes early on January 22, before the storm's arrival. Stores across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. reported a substantial uptick in sales, with groceries, heaters, shovels, and similar items sold out in numerous locations. West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin mobilized the state's National Guard on January 21.
  The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) announced on January 21 that it would shut down its entire mass transit system over the weekend of January 22 and 23, including the Washington Metro and Metrobus, making it the longest such shutdown in the agency's history. On January 25, the WMATA operated limited Metro bus service, as well as rail service only on the underground portions of the Red, Green, and Orange Lines; however, fares were not charged. In Richmond, Virginia, all flights out of Richmond International Airport on January 23 were cancelled, and the Greater Richmond Transit Company (GTRC) bus system took the rare step of suspending all routes on January 24.
  The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation had 2,200 vehicles and more than 733,000 tons of road salt on standby for use. Trucks deployed brine across major roads in and around Philadelphia, though residents were advised to avoid travel unless necessary. A travel ban was declared for Lancaster, Lebanon, Newberry Township, and York on January 23. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority issued a near complete shutdown of its services, shutting down all bus services and closing all rail except for the Broad Street Line and  Market-Frankford Line subways.
  New York City mayor Bill de Blasio declared a hazardous travel advisory for the city, encouraging people not to travel; however, he did not ban traveling. On January 22, he declared a "winter weather emergency" and told residents to "Get done what you have to get done today ... Do not bring your vehicle out tomorrow". Taking place a year after a storm prompted the closure of the city's subway system in January 2015, only to largely bypass the city, Governor Andrew Cuomo stated that services would remain running. Approximately 1,800 workers equipped with 800 heaters were to keep rails clear for use. Thousands of sanitation workers, 1,700 plows, and 150,000 tons of road salt were on standby to clear city roads. He also put 600 members of the New York National Guard on standby. More than 50 power workers from Vermont were dispatched to Long Island to help restore power outages. Around noon on January 23, owing to a significant increase in expected snowfall, Cuomo issued a travel ban for all roads in New York City and Long Island. The New York City Transit Authority suspended bus service; rail service on the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, and Staten Island Railway; and elevated subway service (with underground subway lines remaining open until further notice). In the meantime, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey closed bridges and tunnels in the region.
  A travel ban was instituted for Newark, New Jersey, on January 23 through the afternoon of January 24 in light of hundreds of snow-related accidents.
  Strong winds coupled with prolonged onshore flow resulted in a major coastal flood threat for Delaware and New Jersey. Near-shore waves were forecast to reach 15 to 20 ft (4.6 to 6.1 m) with a storm surge of 3 to 5 ft (0.91 to 1.52 m). In New Jersey, a mandatory evacuation was ordered for residents in coastal Ba
caption: Five-foot snow drifts in Reading, Pennsylvania
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